Golan Heights:
Ten people, including children, were killed on Saturday in a rocket attack on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel’s N12 News reported. This is the worst incident yet in months of violence between Israel and armed groups in Lebanon.
The Israeli military said the rocket was fired by the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group denied any involvement in the attack, which was likely to provoke a fierce response from Israel.
Israel’s emergency services said earlier that nine people were seriously injured when a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a football field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams. A medic at the scene described extensive destruction and fire.
“We witnessed extensive destruction when we arrived at the football field, as well as objects on fire. There were victims on the grass and the scene was gruesome,” said Magen David Adom medic Idan Avshalom.
A witness told Reuters: “It landed on the football field, they are all children… a lot of bodies and remains are in the field, we don’t know who they are.” She asked not to be named.
The attack on the football field followed an Israeli attack in Lebanon that killed four police officers on Saturday. Two security sources in Lebanon said the four fighters killed in the Israeli attack on Kfarkila in southern Lebanon were members of several armed groups, at least one of which belonged to Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said its plane targeted a Hezbollah military structure after identifying a militant cell entering the building.
At least 30 rockets were then fired across the border from Lebanon, the army said.
“According to a situational assessment by the IDF and the intelligence available to us, the rocket launch towards Majdal Shams was carried out by the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” the military said.
Hezbollah claimed at least four attacks, including with Katyusha rockets, in retaliation for the Kfarkila attacks. However, Mohammad Afif, senior media representative of Hezbollah, denied responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams.
In a written statement, the group said: “The Islamic Resistance has absolutely nothing to do with the incident and categorically denies all false allegations in this regard.”
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire since October after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel sparked the Gaza war, in the worst escalation since 2006.
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